[captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 405, the nays are one. 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chaiwill postpone further proceedings today on which the motions to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote or the yeas and nays are ordered, or on which a vote incurs objection under clause 6

of rule 20. recorded votes on the postponed questions will be taken later. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from ohio speak recognition? ms. fudge: i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1336. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1336, congratulating the university of texas men's swimming and diving team for winning the ncaa division i national championship. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from ohio, ms. fudge, and the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. petri, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from ohio. ms. fudge: madam speaker, i request five legislative days -- madam speaker, i request five legislative days during which members may revise and

extend and insert extraneous material on h.res. 1336 into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentlewoman from ohio. ms. fudge: i yield myself as much time as i may consume, madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from ohio. ms. fudge: i rise today in support of h.res. 1336 which congratulates the university of texas men's swimming and diving team for winning the ncaa division i national championship. on the final day of 2010 ncaa division i men's swimming and diving championship competition, the university of texas swim team knew they had a battle to nifplgte started the day in second place with 18.5 -- with an 18.5-point deficit to california. the longhorns quickly roared from behind. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman will suspend. 24e house is not in order.

will members please take their conversation office the floor. will members and staff please take their conversation office the floor. the gentlewoman from ohio. ms. fudge: the longhorns roared from behind and overtook the golden bears, clinching their 2010 ncaa title. the ncaa title the longhorns' first title since 2002. it is especially notable because head coach eddie reese, the first coach in ncaa division i men's swimming and diving history to win ncaa team titles in four separate decades this victory grants the university of texas its 45th all-time ncaa championship title and 49th overall national

championship. the entire longhorn men's swim team demonstrated excellence this season and performed their best in their final matchups. i would like to especially recognize sophomore jimmy feagan who took second for a second consecutive year in the 100 free stile with a time of 41.91, and senior dave walters who took eighth with a time of 42.96 in the event. texas expanded its lead over california to 433-428.5 after picking up 29 points in the breaststroke. texas wrapped up the meet by taking second in the 400 free sti relay and walters, feagan , and ban finished with a time of 49.9. eric freedland nailed down his

first individual all-american finish by taking zent with a time of 1.54.8. con garage halations to walters and feagan who were named the 2010 big 12 co-swimmers of the year and sophomore drew livingston, the 2010 big 12 diver of the year. madam speaker, once again i express my support for h. reds 1236 and congratulate the university of texas men's swimming and diving team, coach reesed on his outstanding achievements with the team, and each of the longhorn swim team's members for their outstanding victory and i urge my colleagues to support this resolution. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin. mr. petri: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from wisconsin. mr. petri: i rise in support of house resolution 1336,

congratulating the university of texas men's swimming and diving team for winning the ncaa division i championship. u.t. is one of the nation's largest public universities, founded in 1883, the university has grown to include 21,000 faculty and staff, 17 colleges, and over 50,000 students. u.t. awards over 8,700 bachelors' degrees annually and is a national leader in graduate degrees awarded. "u.s. news" and world report ranked the university of texas at austin among the top universities in the nation in 2009. it's been especially noted for its schools of engineering, business programs and college of education. in addition to academics, the university of texas at austin has excelled in athletics as well. university of texas longhorns have won more than 40 national championships and u.t.'s

athletes have won 116 olympic medals. longhorns' men's swimming and diving team added the most recent title to u.t.'s name. on march 28, 20 10, the university of texas men's swimming and diving team accumulated 500 points to win the 2010 ncaa division i national championship. it marked the 10th national title for the team. head coach eddie rece led the team to -- eddie reese led the team to excellence and became the first men's swimming coach to win ncaa swim titles in four separate decades. seen yore dave walters and sophomore fagan were named co-swimmers of the year and drew livingston was the big 12 diver of the year. the university of texas longhorns swimming and diving team have shown themselves to

be exemplary athletes. so i congratulate the swim and dive team, coach eddie reese, the students and fans, the faculty and staff of u.t. i understand that there's no request for time by the majority and, therefore, would yield such time as he may consume to our colleague, the representative from austin and some of the surrounding area, lamar smith from the state of texas. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. smith: thank you, madam speaker, and i want to thank my friend and colleague from wisconsin, mr. petri, for yielding me time. madam speaker, this resolution recognizes the university of texas' men's swimming and diving team for winning the ncaa division i national championship. under the guidance of head coach eddie reese, the university of texas' men's swimming and diving team won their 10th ncaa national championship. coach reese became the first men's swimming and diving coach to win the ncaa swimming and

diving championships in decades. dave walters and jimmy feigen were named the 2010 co-swimmers of the year. and drew livingston who was named big 12 diver of the year. the university of texas, which is located in my district, has an excellent athletics program. in fact,he university of texas longhorns has won more than 40 national championships and the university of texas athletes has won 116 olympic medals. it is a pleasure to recognize the university of texas' men's swimming and diving team for winning another national championship. i hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating them on this outstanding achievement. madam speaker, i'll yield back my time. mr. petri: madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from wisconsin rise? mr. petri: madam speaker, i urge my colleagues to support the resolution before us and have no further request for

time and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from wisconsin yields back all of his time. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from ohio. ms. fudge: thank you, madam speaker. i, too, would just ask that my colleagues support h.res. 1336, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: all time has been yielded back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1336. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to -- the gentlewoman from ohio. ms. fudge: madam speaker, i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and i make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 and the chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from ohio seek recognition? ms. fudge: madam speaker, i move that the house suspend the

rules and agree to house resolution 1361 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1361, resolution recognizing north carolina central university on its 100th anniversary. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from ohio, ms. fudge, and the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. petri, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from ohio. ms. fudge: thank you, madam speaker. i request five legislative days during which members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on h.res. 1361 into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. the gentlewoman from ohio. ms. fudge: madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from ohio. ms. fudge: thank you. madam speaker, i rise today in support of h.res. 1361 which celebrates north carolina central university for 100 years of leadership and service

in higher education. north carolina central was originally opened to students in 1910 through the work of the school's founder, dr. james e. shepard. nccu became a state university in 1923 when it was renamed the durham state normal school. and in 1969, the institution came to be known as it is today as north carolina central university. the 135-acre campus of north carolina central university is situated on sloping green hills of durham, north carolina. the university's home to over 8,500 students this year, a record enrollment level. in fact, this year nccu has the largest freshman class in its history. the university currently offers bachelors degrees in more than 100 studies and awards bachelors degrees in more than 40 studies. the nccu eagles has won 41

conference championships, three ncaa regional titles and two national championships. more than 50 student athletes have won individual ncaa and naia national championships. finally, north carolina central university is also known for giving back to the raleigh-durham area. thanks to its community services program, which requires each student to contribute 15 hours of community service per semester. nccu students serve as tutors in local schools, help build habitat for humanity housing, promote the causes of nonprofit service agencies around the campus and community. this is indicative of nccu's tradition of cultivating graduates who will become meaningful contributors to society. the students, faculty and staff of north carolina central university have much to be proud of as they remember and

celebrate the rich, cultural and academic history of their history over the past century. once again, i congratulate north carolina central university on its 100-year anniversary and thank representative frank for bringing this resolution forward. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from wisconsin. mr. petri: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin. mr. petri: i rise in support of house resolution 1361, recognizing north carolina central university on its 100th anniversary. since 1910, the mission of north carolina central university has been to prepare students academically and professionally to become leaders. nccu was founded by dr. james e. shepard as the national religious training school and chautauqua for the clerk will designate race for the purpose of developing african-american men and women into citizens of fine character and sound

academic training. after several name changes in the early 1900's, the college saw significant expansion between 1927 and 1929 through additional funding from the general assembly, a generous gift from b.n. duke, and contributions from the citizens of durham. nccu is a comprehensive institution which offers bachelors degrees in more than 100 fields of study and awards graduate degrees in an estimated 40 disciplines. the university has a state-of-the-art biological research institute which clab rates with pharmacy and biotech companies in the triangle park area where nccu is found. with nearly 9,000 students enrolled, this historically black university is diverse. it attracts exchange students for more than 12 countries,

including liberia, india, sierra leon, that pal, china, the czech republic, nigeria, south korea, russia, the dominican republic, south africa. through the teaching and its faculty, and the many contributions of its alumni, nc crumbings u seeks to -- nccu seeks to fulfill its motto, truth and service. i'd like to thank the chancellor, the faculty, staff and students as they celebrate their 100th anniversary. i ask my colleagues to support this resolution and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from ohio is recognized. ms. fudge: madam speaker, i am pleased to recognize the gentleman from north carolina, mr. price, for as much time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from north carolina. mr. price: i thank my colleague for yielding and, madam

speaker, i rise today in support of h.res. 1361, which commemorates the centennial university of north carolina central university and honors its founder, dr. james e. shepard. i've introduced this resolution as the member of this body privileged to represent north carolina central university, but i'm proud to say it has the support of the entire north carolina delegation as well as the support of a number of other members who recognize the university's significance. people frequently talk about the big three universities in the research triangle area of north carolina, referring to duke university, north carolina state university and the university of north carolina at chapel hill. but i like to remind them that it actually is the big four. north carolina central is fully as integral to the historical fabric of our state as its three peer institutions. it's one of the oldest and prestigious historically black colleges in the nation and has

an important role as a research institution. established by dr. james e. shepard in 1909 in durham, north carolina, the university first opened its doors to students a year later as the national religious training school. collective self-advancement were inextricably intertwined. there is no economy in ignorance, he declared. education is a vastly expansive resource but ignorance is incomparablely more so. ignorance and poverty are cures for nothing. dr. shepard led the university until his death in 1947, guided the university through several name changes, watching the university grow in size and mission and helping the school gain the support of the north carolina state legislature. in 1925, thanks to dr. shepard's leadership, the school became the nation's first state-supported liberal arts college for

african-american students. now an integral part of the university of north carolina system, n.c. central offers bachelor degrees in more than 100 fields of studies and graduate degrees to more than 40 disciplines. u.s. news and world report ranked n.c. central as the top school in the nation and one of the top hcbcu schools overall. it is the best value law school in the nation by national juris magazine for over two consecutive years. n.c. central is renowned to its contributions to the cultural arts. it's home to the marching sound machine, a marching band that will perform in the rose bowl parade and the north carolina central jazz ensemble which recently performed in the new port jazz festival.

n.c. central has a strong history of athletic prowess. they have won three ncaa regional titles and two national championships. more than 50 of its student athletes have won individual ncaa and naia national championships. and student athletes representing nccu competed in every olympic game from 1956 to 1976 in track and field capturing eight olympic medals, including five gold medals during that period. as co-chair of the national service caucus, i must note that n.c. central was the first university in north carolina to establish community service as a requirement for graduation. as has been recognized by the carnegie foundation as a community-engaged university. it should therefore come to no surprise that the university has enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship with its home city of durham throughout its 100-year history.

thousands of n.c. central graduates have served durham as community leaders, educators, professional, entrepreneurs, volunteers. however, the reach of the university extends far beyond the triangle region of north carolina. in the century since its founding, the university's graduated 40,000 students and proudly boasts many distinguished alumni clull civil lights lawyer and educator, julius chambers, basketball hall of famer, sam jones, two-time olympic track gold medalist, lee calhoun, superior court judge, lee fitch, former speaker dan blue, not to mention my friend and the late co-sponsor of this legislation, our own colleague, g.k. butterfield. in the words of n.c. central's current chanceler, quote, it's no small accomplishment that an institution of higher education in this case founded by african-americans at a time when african-americans were

barred from most colleges survived and thrived for more than 100 years. i couldn't agree more. under the visionary leadership of dr. shepard, all who served the institution in betwn, the university has flourished in such countless eyes in north carolina and throughout america and throughout the world. i ask my colleagues to join me in support of this resolution and yield back the remainder of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from wisconsin is recognized. mr. petri: i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from wisconsin reserves. the gentleman from wisconsin reserves or yields back? mr. petri: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from ohio is recognized. ms. fudge: i'm pleased to recognize the gentleman from north carolina, mr. butterfield, for as long as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized.

mr. butterfield: let me thank the gentlewoman, she is representing her district very well and i thank her for that. let me thank the ranking member, the gentleman managing the floor today, from wisconsin, for his friendship and thank him for the kind words he said about my alma mater, north carolina central university. i want to thank my good friend congressman david price who proudly and effectively represents durham county and surrounding counties, the home of north carolina central university, and thank him for what he means to that community. he's been so involved in the lifer of the university for so long. i want to thank him publicly for that effective leadership. madam speaker, i first arrived on the nccu campus back in august of 1965. it was a great year. i remember it so well. at the time the university was named north carolina college at durham. it was while i was there at central that the name was actually changed to north carolina central university.

not only did i receive a very effective and appropriate undergraduate education at the university but i receive my law degree there at the north carolina central school of law. i have a lot to be thankful for, that's why i come to the floor today to pay tribute to this university for its service of the last 100 years. as congressman price said a moment ago, north carolina ntral university was established in 19 10. it's grown into one of our nation's oldest and most prestigious historically black colleges and universities. all of us who attended north carolina central know the history of dr. james e. shepard. he was an extraordinary leader whose vision for the university has come to fruition. we call ourselves the eagles. congressman price referred to that a moment ago and we are certainly eagles. nccu offers degrees in more

than 100 fields of study. it awards graduate degrees in approximately 40 disciplines to a student body of 8,500. i believe when i started the university in 1965, there were some 350rks0 students at the school, so the population of the student body has actually doubled. north carolina central university has a state of the art biology research laboratory. north carolina central university holds the top spot among public schools in the "u.s. news & world report's" latest ranks of the nation's historically black colleges and universities. finally, madam speaker, as i take my seat, i cannot help but mention the fact that we have nine nccu law students on the hill serving as interns this summer. they have been placed in various offices throughout the

house of representatives and they represent the best of north carolina central university. they are our future leaders indeed. so we honor this great institution today and i ask my colleagues to join with us in voting aye on h.r. 1361. thank you for the time, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from wisconsin is recognized. mr. petri: i have no further requests for time and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from -- the gentlewoman from ohio is recognized. ms. fudge: i urge my colleagues to support h.res. 1361 and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: all time has been yielded back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to houseres. 1361 as amended? those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

ms. fudge: madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from ohio rise? ms. fudge: madam speaker, i object to the vote on the fwrounds that a quorum is not present and make a point ofed orer that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 and the chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? >> madam speaker, i move that

the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 996, expressing support for the designation of september as national childhood obesity awareness month, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. clip house resolution 996, resolution expressing support for designation of september as national childhood obesity awareness month. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from california, mrs. capps, and the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. pitts, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. mrs. capps: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. so ordered. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. mrs. capps: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california. mrs. capps: i rise in strong support of house resolution

996, expressing support for the designation of september as national childhood obesity awareness month. i would like to commend my colleague from ohio, marcia fudge, for introducing this resolution, which i'm proud to co-sponsor. this is a bipartisan resolution, supported by over 57 national organizations representing both the public and private sectors. by dedicating september, the month when most children have returned to school to focus attention on combating childhood obesity we can set our kids on a healthier course for the entire school year. consideration of this resolution is particularly timely, given last week's release of the task force on childhood obesity's report by the white house and the strong championship of first lady michelle obama on this issue. according to the centers for disease control and prevention, one in every three american children ages 2 to 19 is overweight or obese.

studies conducted at the national center for health statistics of the c.d.c. founded obese to -- found that obesity more than tripled among children and adolescents between 1976 and 2008. childhood obesity is a problem for the entire nation but it is more common among certain racial and ethnic groups, with the high oastbeesity rates present among african-american girls an hispanic boys. obesity is a serious health threat. it's estimated to cause 112,000 death pers year and one in three children born in the year 2000 is expected to develop diabetes during his or her lifetime unless this trend is reversed, at least 23 million american kids will be in danger of becoming the first generation in american history to have a shorter life span than their parents.

as a former school nurse, i have seen all too well that the consequences of obesity aren't just manifested physically. there are also devastating mental health implications as it's associated with low act self-esteem and low academic achievement. eliminating childhood obesity can elimb gnat millions in health care costs and promote a healthy lifestyle to prolong and improve the lives of the next generation of americans. i resthemb balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. pitts: madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. pitts: madam speaker, i rise in support of h.res. 996 to support the designation of september as national childhood obesity awareness month.

a third of the people age 2 to 19 are obese now. experience tells us that they probably will grow both literally and figuratively into obese adults. it means that in just a few years a disproportionately high number of them will hear a doctor explain that they have heart disease or diabetes or cancer, arthritis, or an increased chance of having a stroke. but childhood obesity is preventable so it doesn't have to lead to a bad -- lead to bad news in a doctor's office laettner life. exercise and good -- later in life. exercise and good nutrition that start early not pnl only fight childhood obesity but instill habits that promote lifelong health. let me say a word about personal responsibility here.

no congressional resolution can replace the good sense of concerned parents. most parents know instinctively that healthy family pross deuce healthy adults and we commend them. i think they also deserve our recognition and appreciation and encouragement. in the final analysis, any aoptometry raise awareness of a problem like childhood obesity must involve individuals making good choices for the sake of their own health. raising our voices to help raise awareness of that is crucial and beneficial. the truth is worthwhile business for the people's house to undertake. i'd like to thank the sponsor of this bill, representative marcia fudge, and i'd like to thank representative bono mack who is work hard to bring attention to this problem.

i rise in support of this this legislation and hope my colleagues will join us. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves his time. the gentlewoman from california. mrs. capps: i'm pleased to yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from ohio, congresswoman fudge. ms. fudge: thank you so much. this is something for which i'm very, very passionate. i am pleased and proud to be one of the sponsors of this legislation and to be on this floor today to talk just briefly about it. i, along with representative kay granger of texas, introduced house resolution 996 designating september, 2010, as national childhood obesity awareness month. s that bipartisan resolution supported by over 75 national organizations, including the u.s. conference of mayor the national education association, the ymca, the ywca, the american medical association, the united way, naacp, the

national indian health board. dedicating at least one month out of each year to bring awaretons this issue of childhood obesity will help maximize the effect of programming, messaging, and campaigns all aligned with the sole purpose of eradicating childhood obesity. according to the alliance for a healthier generation, one in three american children are already overweight or obese. unless we work to reverse this epidemic, these 23 million kids will be in danger of never being grand parents. imagine -- of never being grandparents. imagine, living a life and knowing you may never live long enough to be a grandparent. imagine the day when our children can't play on playgrounds because they can't play kick ball because they're winded or they sknt play basketball because they're winded or they can't run track. this is very, very important. i want to say that it is

significant that we today work with the white house and so many others who are looking at how we deal with not just obesity but nutrition. it is important for us to be sure that young people receive a healthy start and a lot of that is not in the hands of young people. it is in our hands. the financial implications of childhood obesity are overwhelming. at $14 billion per year in direct health care costs, supporting awareness and prevention of childhood obesity will eliminate billions of dollars in unnecessary health care costs and help promote a healthier lifestyle that will prolong and improve the lives of the next generation of americans. madam speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. pitts: madam speaker, i have no further requests for time. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the

balance of his time. the gentlewoman from california is recognized. ms. fudge: i'm pleased to yield such time as she may consume to the gentlelady from nevada, congresswoman titus. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from nevada is recognized. ms. titus: thank you, madam speaker. thank you for yielding. i rise today in support of h.r. 996, a resolution to recognize september as national childhood obesity awareness month. i applaud congresswoman fudge for introducing this resolution to bring awaretons such an important issue. obesity has been linked to a wide range of negative health outcomes and the alarming rise in childhood obesity, if left unchecked, could lead to a national health crisis. obese children are at a greater risk for a number of diseases and are more likely to have health problems that put them at risk throughout their lifetime for diabetes, cardiovascular illness and cancer. according to the centers for disease control, childhood obesity has more than tripled

in the past 30 years, so it is vital that we take action, recognize the problem and begin to address it. i, too, would like to commend first lady michelle obama, and in nevada, state senator valerie weiner, to combat this problem. i'm proud to see on the education and labor committee, which will soon be talking up re-authorization of the child nutrition act. i look forward to the opportunity to address childhood obesity and the crisis that it creates through at important legislation. in the meantime, i'm pleased to support the resolution before us today, h.res. 996, brought by my colleague, congresswoman fudge, because it will help raise awareness of childhood obesity, acknowledge its adverse lifetime consequences and offer ways to combat the growing problem. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentlewoman from california is recognized. mrs. capps: madam speaker, i have no further speakers, so i will yield back the balance of my time and urge my colleagues to vote for and support h.res. 996, expressing support for designation of september as national childhood obesity awareness month. the speaker pro tempore: all time has been yielded back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 996 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution -- mrs. capps: madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california. mrs. capps: i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and i make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 and the chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

mrs. capps: madam speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to -- the speaker pro tempore: for what -- for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? mrs. capps: madam speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to h.res. 713. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 713, resolution recognizing the significant contributions of united states automobile dealerships, and expressing the sense of the house of representatives that in the interest of equity, automobile dealers whose franchises have been terminated through no fault of their own be given an opportunity of first consideration once the auto market rebounds and stabilizes. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentlewoman from california

want to bring up the resolution as amended? mrs. capps: yes, i do, and i yield to the gentleman from texas, mr. al green, for as much time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from california, mrs. capps, and the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. pitts, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. mrs. capps: thank you. as i said out of order, i will yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from texas, mr. green. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. green: thank you, madam chair. and i thank the managing member, member capps, for yielding such time as i my consume. i would like to thank the member from the other side for allowing this important piece of legislation to come to the floor. i want to thank representative hensarling who is not here today. he is in financial services,

and we have a hearing there that is exceedingly important. but for that i am confident he would be here. he and i serve on the committee together. representative hensarling and i have been working on this resolution for sometime. for us it has become a means by which we not only developed what i believe to be a good piece of legislation for the house but also we developed a good relationship as a result of working together. this is truly a bipartisan piece of legislation. we have 107 co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle. i also would like to thank representative john dingell for helping us with this piece of legislation. he at a crucial time stepped forward to help us move the legislation such that we are now on the floor with it. i would also mention the staff members from congressman hensarling's office, from my office, my staff. i thank you for what you've

done. representative dingell's staff. and all of the persons who have been associated with this piece of legislation, especially representative capps at this point because i thank you for helping us get it to the floor as well. this piece of legislation does two things. h.res. 713. it recognizes the significant contributions of the auto dealerships and it expresses the sense of the house of representatives that alerips w successful, and i highlight and underline successful, dealerships that were successful and are being closed -- some have been closed because of the economic crisis -- that these dealerships be given consideration when the market rebounds and we start to bring on new auto dealerships. it is an opportunity for consideration. with these two things in mind, i would share these thoughts. one, that the auto dealerships

are the face of the auto industry within our various communities. and as the face of the industry, they do more than sell cars, which is a good thing to do, selling cars, promote growth and jobs, help us have persons who are employed, and i'll stay more about that in a moment. they do more than this. they engage in being good corporate citizens which means they allow their largess be shared by various, not-for-profit organizations in the community, various organizations that are involved at the grassroots levels in communities. example, the little league baseball team will often be sponsored by auto dealerships and other small but significant organizations in our communities benefit from these auto dealerships. they are across the length of the communities in large and small towns.

they make it possible for us to experience the opportunity of having largess that we would not ordinarily have. i will tell you that that largess is being sorely missed at this time of economic crisis. so we want to get them back and we want to get them back online because they are good corporate citizens. next point, 20,000 independently owned dealerships exist across the country. maybe a little bit more, little bit less, depending on who is counting and how you count. employing about 900,000 people, new car dealerships alone employing about 900,000 people. these jobs are jobs that our country benefits from greatly and we have missed many of the jobs because of the dealerships going off-line. we want to see these dealerships give the community, the job base that it has enjoyed by virtue of these many persons who were trained to do

various things, bringing them back will be an important part of these dealerships coming back online as a result of the rebound in the economy. in 2008 there was about $650 billion that we can call revenue generated from the dealerships. they are truly small business at its best, and some of them large businesses because of the sheer amount of revenue that they generate. but they are small businesses that benefit greatly from what we are trying to do in financial services today. but they are also small businesses that cause the community to benefit greatly because of what they do in the various communities and where they are located. so i would just simply remind us as we vote on this, please, dear friends, give thought to your community, give thought to the fact that this is a small business that brings jobs back to the community, give thought to the fact that these

corporations are good corporate citizens for the most part, that they are part of the fiber and fabric of the community, that they help little league baseball teams, the girl scouts, the boy scouts, all these various entities that benefit from largess. and give some thought to the fact that but for them many of our communities would not be as vibrant as they are. and in fact, many of our communities are not as vibrant as they were because we've lost some of these various small businesses, these auto dealerships. and i beg that all of my colleagues, please support this resolution. it really does encourage us to do the right thing and that is give these dealerships that were successful, that went off-line not because of some fault of their own but because of an economic crisis that they have little control over, in fact most control over. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized.

mr. pitts: madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. pitts: madam speaker, i rise in support of h.res. 713, expressing the sense of the house of representatives that the automobile dealers whose franchises were terminated through no fault of their own be given an opportunity of first consideration once the auto market rebounds and stabilizes. dealerships play an important function in the distribution model, and it was the economic downturn that exacerbated the already slowing automobile sales. some dealers assert that they had sufficient sales and should not have been marked for closure. despite their importance to manufacturers, the fact that they were well-run businesses and the federal government's bailout of g.m. and chrysler to the tune of $80 billion, many franchises were taken away from

these dealerships. jobs supported by these dealerships were eliminated, and this lost income continues to plague american families. in addition, the lost tax revenue and absence of those dealerships that played an important civic role in their communities has further strained local communities. when the auto market recovers, these dealerships should be given an opportunity to reclaim their franchises as manufacturers expand their distribution channels. i'd like to commend congressman green and congressman hensarling for their leadership on this issue. i support the resolution, urge my colleagues to support it and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from california is recognized. mrs. capps: i reserve the balance of my time. i have no further speakers. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. pitts: madam speaker, i have no further request for

time. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from california is recognized. mrs. capps: madam speaker, i'm prepared to yield back my time, but i wish to make two points. one, that i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to rese and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials in the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mrs. capps: and also to point -- to make a point that several minor changes were made in house resolution 713 in order to clarify that the focus of the resolution is on automobile dealerships and not on automobile manufacturers. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mrs. capps: and with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: all time has been yielded back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 713 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. without objection, the title is

amended. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from kansas seek recognition? >> madam speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2546. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 2546, a bill to ensure that the right of an individual to display the service flag on residential property not be abridged. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the

gentleman from kansas, mr. moore, and the gentlelady from kansas, ms. jenkins, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from kansas. mr. moore: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. . mr. moore: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. moore: i rise today in strong support of h.r. 2546, the blue star-gold star flag act drafted by my colleague from ohio, representative john boccieri. this bipartisan legislation has 54 democratic and republican co-sponsors and i'm proud to be one of them. the service flag which is referred to as the blue star or gold star flag is an official banner authorized by the defense department for families serving in the armed forces during a war. each blue star represents an

active member, wild a gold star signals a service member who died in action. as authorized by the defense department, organizations can fly the service flag as long as it honors the members of that organization serving a period of war. in april of last year, a constituent of representative boccieri's was asked by her condominium association to remove the service flag she placed in her window in honor of her son who served in 1991 and again in 2003 for his service defending our country in iraq. her son suffered injuries not once but twice from roadside bombs. thankfully the condominium association later reversed the decision allowing her to display the flag. this thoughtful drafted -- legislation delasted in response to this incident will ensure no association or residential real estate management association will prevent residents from displaying the flag in honor of their loved ones. i strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i

reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from kansas. >> madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. >> madam speaker, today i rise in support of h.r. 2546, the blue star-gold star flag act. ms. jenkins: this bill ensures the rights of an individual to display the service flag on a residential property without limitation. the service flag also referred to as either the blue star or gold star flag is an official banner authorized by the defense department for display by families of members serving in the armed forces during a period of war. since world war ii, the blue car and gold star service flag has been a way for families and the communities they live in to show their pride and concern for our troops in the field. each blue star on the flag represents a service member in active duty, while a gold star

signifies a service member who was killed in action or who died in service. the service flag may also be displayed by an organization to honor the members of that organization serving during a period of war or hostility. we must do everything we can to show our support for our troops, for the men and women serving in our military, and their families. the service flag has significant meaning. this flag is a symbol of the sacrifices that our military men and women make as they put their lives on the line to protect our country. their family members should be allowed to fly the flag in honor of those sacrifices no matter where they live. and h.r. 2546 ensures the rights of an individual to display the service flag on residential property without limitation. the bill we are considering today is similar to the freedom to display the american flag act of 2005. which passed the house by a

voice vote and was later signed into law. madam speaker, i, too, want to thank my colleague from ohio, mr. boccieri, for championing this important legislation. 2456 ensures our american military families are able to honor their lovered one's service to our country by displaying the service flag no matter where they live. this bill deserves our support and i urge the adoption of h.r. 2456, the blue star-gold star flag act. madam speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kansas. mr. moore: madam speaker, i yield five minutes to the gentleman from ohio, the chief sponsor of this important legislation, representative boccieri. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. boccieri: than you, -- thank you, madam speaker. i thank the chairman for this important bill that recognizes the service of our strong military members who find themselves on multiple rotations

and some who find themselves injured. today the flue star-gold star flag act of 2009 is a tribute to those military families. in 2009, one of my constituents was required by their condominium association to remove the service flag placed in her window in honor of her son an iraq war soldier who served multiple tos and twice injured in duty while serving in iraq. they were both roadside bombs of the the service flag, the blue star flag or gold star flag, is an official banner as has been said, by the department of defense, and has been on display for families for members serving in the armed services. the service flag has significant meaning to our nation. the families of the men and women who are serving. it's a symbol of the sacrifices and service of our members in the military who put their lives on the line every day to protect all of us. and that's why family members should be allowed to fly the flag in honor of their

sacrifices no matter where they live. this bipartisan commonsense measure is based on the freedom to display the american flag act of 2005. it passed both chambers overwhelmingly during the 109th congress. the legislation prohibits residential, real estate management association from preventing residents from displaying the service flag on or around their homes or places of dwelling. i introduced this measure to ensure that people have the right to display the service flag without limitation. as a major in the air force reserve and flying multiple missions in iraq and afghanistan, flying those wounded and fallen soldiers out of the country, it is significant that we allow the families to be represented and to be represented of the service of their loved one. i was honored when i learned that the ohio state legislate legislature had displayed one for me when i was serving from 2004 to 2005.

it was at the state capitol and on display. i would like to thank all the supporters of this legislation as my office has received thousands of signatures from ohioans and members of the military, as well as those families around the country who support this measure as well as endorsements from the air force sergeants association, and over 50 of my colleagues have supported this legislation which will aid in its passage. i would like to thank chairman frank, member spencer bachus for their support of this bill and gives all people, no matter where they live, the right to honor them. as i said before, the military member myself, i'm proud to stand before you today having worked on those critical measures which can become law for our veterans including improving access to health care, ensuring the v.a. can adequately handle mental health issues for those returning vets from the frontlines. today we stand together in a bipartisan way. we intend to make the blue star,

gold star flag act of 2009 a law for military families. while they stood up and fought for us, it's now time that we stand up and fight for their families to recognize their service. thank you, madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlelady from kansas. ms. jenkins: i would like to yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from minnesota, my friend and colleague, mr. paulsen. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. paulsen: thank you, madam speaker. i also rise today as a strong supporter of h.r. 2546, the blue star-gold star flag act. this is a straightforward bill that will ensure those who want to honor the men and women of our armed forces can absolutely do so. specifically this bill protects the rights of an individual to display the service flag on residential property without limitation. service flags are official banners, authorized by the united states department of defense for display by families of military members serving our country during periods of war.

the blue star as mentioned earlier represents a family member is currently serving and the gold star signifies that a family member has given their life in service to our nation. both of these flags are constant reminders of the honor, of the duty, of the service and the sacrifice our members and body that provide that service each and every day. there should be no question at all that america's military families can display a service flag if they choose to do so. unfortunately current law doesn't allow that to take place. it doesn't guarantee that right to display that flag in certain housing condominium associations or real estate management associations. this bill addresses a commonsense problem that allows military families to proudly honor their loved ones. i want to thank the gentleman from ohio, mr. boccieri, for their leadership on this issue, his sr. viss himself, this is important legislation. it goes right to the heart of

the service member families and what they believe in. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kansas. mr. moore: we have no further speakers and prepared to close. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from kansas. ms. jenkins: i yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from new york, my friend and colleague, mr. lee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. lee: to follow on, first and foremost i do want to thank my good friend from ohio, mr. boccieri, for his hard work on this important bill that ensures the service flag can be displayed on residential properties which is key without limitations. each day millions of americans proudly display the service flag in recognition of conflicts overseas. however due to some unreasonable and misguided policies instituted by some housing associations, the service flag is unable to fly free. the bill before us today will ensure that these -- those who

wish to proudly honor those serving in conflicts around the world will be able to do so. the service flag is a meaningful symbol used by many to honor brave men and women currently serving in war zones, as well as those killed in action or who have died in service. there should be no restrictions on honoring these courageous souls. the passage of this bill brings us one step closer to ensuring that this is the case. with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from kansas. ms. jenkins: madam speaker, i have no further requests for time and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kansas. mr. moore: madam speaker, h.r. 2546 is a commonsense, bipartisan bill that rightfully honors all of our service men and women fighting to protect us and the families that support them. i urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill and i yield back our time.

the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2546. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from kansas seek recognition? mr. moore: madam speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1177 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 1177, a bill to require the secretary of the treasury to make coins in recognition of five united states army five-star generals, george marshall, douglas macarthur, dwight eisenhower, henry "happ" around and omar

bradley. alumni of united states army command and general staff college, fort leavenworth, kansas, to could he inside with the celebration of the 132nd anniversary of the founding of the united states army command and general staff college. the speaker pro tempore: plule, the gentleman from -- pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from kansas, mr. moore, and the gentlelady from kansas, ms. jenkins, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from kansas. mr. moore: thank you, madam speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. moore: madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. moore: madam speaker, i rise today in strong support of h.r. 1177, the five star general commemorative coin act. i was pleased to introduce this bipartisan legislation last year with my colleagues from kansas, representatives lynn jenkins, todd tiahrt, and jerry moran. i appreciate their work in

helping to find co-sponsors. the legislation now has 300 republican and democratic co-sponsors, including a very special one of our colleagues we learned had a very strong connection to this bill after we filed it. i'll discuss his connection in a moment. h.r. 1177 will authorize the u.s. treasury to mint a series of commemorative $5 and $1 and half dollar coins bearing the likeness of five u.s. generals who served during world war ii. the coins would honor these five-star generals, general dwight d. eisenhower who was the supreme allied commander in europe during world war ii and later president of the united states. general george marshall who was the army chief of staff during world war ii and later secretary of state. and defense secretary. general douglas macarthur who led allied forces to victory in the pacific theater during world war ii and later led allied forces in the korean war. general henry arnold, who commanded the armed air corps in europe and remains the only person ever to hold the title of

general of the air force. and general omar bradley who commanded allied forces on their march to victory in north africa and became the first person to hold chairman of the joint chiefs. all five of these five-star generals either attended or at the u.s. army command located in leavenworth, kansas. they would be issued in 2013. the first would be paid to the command and general staff foundation to help finance their outstanding work in supporting the college. finally, the colleague of ours who i mentioned earlier and has a very special connection to this bill is my good friend from iowa, congressman leonard boswell. like the five-star generals we honor, congressman boswell attended the college as a student after his first vietnam tour in 1968 and later served as instructor at the end of his service career in 1974. he was recently inducted into the fort leaven ottawa hall of fame, and after learning about our bill worked harder than all of us in rounding up the

necessary co-sponsors to move this bill forward. i want to dedicate this bill to congressman leonard boswell's long and distinguished service to our country. to honor our five-star generals and general staff college and all the service men and women who sacrificed so much to defend our country, i strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from kansas. ms. jenkins: madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. jenkins: madam speaker, i rise today in support of h.r. 1177, the five-star generals commemorative coin act, and i commend the gentleman from kansas, representative moore, for introducing this legislation. the command and general staff college was founded in for the leavenworth -- fort leavenworth, kansas, in 1771. the school is the intellectual

center of the army, and in addition to training u.s. military officers, allied nations from around the world send their military officers to train at the staff college. in fact, over the past 129 years, more than 90,000 u.s. military officers and 7,000 foreign military officers from 153 countries have graduated from the staff college including generals colin powell and david petraeus. and upon graduation from the staff college, the majority of the international students attain the rank of general within their respective countries. this legislation will direct secretary of the treasury to mint coins in recognition of the five men who have achieved the rank of general of the army, including generals george marshall, douglas mcarthur, dwight icen hour, henry "hap"

arnold and omar bradley. they led our forces to victory in world war ii but also taught at the college. and the proceeds from the commemorative coin will help fund the command and general staff college foundation, to ensure military officers will be able to train there for years to come. the staff college is critical in the education and training of our military officers during times of war and peace. at a time when our country is extending a hand to nations abroad, there is no better place to fulfill that mission than at the staff college because of the first rate intercultural exchange that the students experience. forth leavenworth is in our -- fort leavenworth is in my congressional district, and i spent time there over the past 16 months, so today i'd like to thank the chief executive officer of the command and

general staff college foundation, colonel bob uland, who has championed this from day one, and hope is watching this debate and hope for passage of the five-star generals commemorative coin act. i'd like to thank the foundation, lieutenant general bob artur. the commitment of the colonel and lieutenant of training the best and brightest military officers who attend the staff college and their support and tireless efforts to move this legislation forward is deeply appreciated. it is for these reasons that i urge all of my colleagues in the house to support this legislation, to honor our nation's military officers. madam speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kansas. mr. moore: madam speaker, i yield five minutes to the gentleman from iowa, representative leonard boswell. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized.

mr. boswell: thank you, madam speaker. i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. boswell: thank you. i rise today in strong support of h.r. 1177, the five-star generals commemorative coin act. i believe this legislation is very important, to not only commend the college but also to ensure that the program at the college remains strong for our future military leaders. for over 129 years the command and general staff college produced some of the best military leaders of the world, including the five five-star generals who taught or studied at the college. as mentioned, general marshall, douglas mcarthur, omar bradley. i might add that colin powell and david petraeus also graduated from the school. as mr. moore mentioned, i had the honor to both attend the college as both a student and

then become instructor during my military career, and i can attest to the fact that those i served with were truly the best in the world. last fall i had the privilege to be the key note speaker at the flag ceremony for the international military students at the school. a lot has changed from my time there, and i had the opportunity to see the state-of-the-art training that our military personnel are receiving. this legislation will require the treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins and half dollar coins in recognition of the five u.s. army five-star generals. the surcharges -- sale of such coins will be paid to the command general staff college foundation to help finance its support for college. the foundation i report is ably led, and i appreciate the dynamic leadership of retired colonel ueland.

some of the things it includes is research grant for the faculty, support for the international military officer program and support for guest speakers and professional development and other activities. during my career in the army, i had the privilege to serve alongside many great men and women. the passage of h.r. 1177 the command and general staff college will remain the world institute of higher education that it is today. so i'd like to thank mr. moore for introducing such an important bill and ask my colleagues to support h.r. 1177. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from kansas. ms. jenkins: i yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from kansas, representative tiahrt. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. tiahrt: thank you, madam speaker. i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. tiahrt: first of all, madam speaker, i'd like to thank dennis moore for his leadership in this legislation.

he's always sought during his career in congress to find bipartisan legislation that we could work together on. i appreciate it. i also want to thank congresswoman jenkins for her participation and leadership in this issue as well as her time here on the floor and in kansas. this is a unique bill, unique legislation that not only recognizes the service and sacrifice of five united states army five-star generals but also supports an important work at the command and general staff college foundation at fort leavenworth, kansas. during this brief history it went on at the time forever but during world war ii we had great leadership in america. following that time from 1944 to 1950 we had five heroic men that were promoted to five-star status generals, five-star generals. these men all exemplified leadership, and when faced with difficult times they chose to do the right thing and pursued

strong goals to keep this world safe. and leadership matters, and i think that's why this bill is important and why it matters. in times that are challenging, whether it's a time of war or a time of peace, we are still are confronted with difficult situations, whether it's the economy or the safety of this country and leadership is an important facet of finding our way through these difficult times. these five men exemplified that kind of leadership. i'm also very pleased with how this bill was designed by congressman moore of how he allowed the revenues to go to the college foundation. the commanding general staff foundation is dedicated to supporting the mission and the people of the u.s. army command and general staff college. at that -- at the school at the command and general staff college we not only educate men and women in the united states armed services but we also have

fellows who come from other countries and learn about this country and learn about how we protect freedom here. i think it's valuable information. one of the benefits that is not commonly referred to that comes from this school was an experience that i think goes on -- that i personally had that i think goes on around the world. in 2001 we had two kansas missionaries that were taken hostage by philippine terrorists, philippine muslim terrorists. at that time i went to our national security advisor and requested that we have people go out and rescue our folks, our military, and at that time we had no plans to do that in this government. so i bought a commercial airline ticket. they were kind enough to send with me then a marine colonel, who is now a major general, and we took a trip to the fill

fines -- philippines on the day before leaders in 2001 reflew over the philippines where the two kansas missionaries were held hostage. we met with president arroyo. i was greeted by a cold shoulder, if i can use that term, and it was because they really didn't have much, i think, to expect what they could do on behalf of the missionaries. but when i walked in the room, the colonel recognized a colonel in the philippine army that he attended school with at fort leavenworth at the command and general staff college. they greeted each other warmly and the ice in the room melted. we were able to then negotiate several things for our military to help assist the the rescue attempts for them and we were

able to get, for example, training for the mill peen army and we were age -- philippine army and we were able to get advisors and find out where they were being held hostage. long story short is that one is home in rose hill, kansas, safely today. her husband was killed in the rescue attempt and it was because the advisors, i believe, our advisors were not able to be with that platoon at the time they ran into the philippine terrorists. but the good news is about the command and general staff college is that they open doors all around the globe. this foundation will support it. so i want to thank the c.e.o. of the sgsc foundation for his dedication to the men and women of the united states army. again, thank you, congressman moore, for your leadership here and i want to thank the gentlewoman, congresswoman lynn jenkins, for her time and i

reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kansas. mr. moore: madam speaker, we have no further speakers and prepared to close so i'll reserve the balance of our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from kansas. ms. jenkins: i yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from kansas, representative moran. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. moran: madam speaker, thank you very much. i thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me. it's a rare occasion that the four members of the kansas delegation are here on the house floor. for nearly 130 years, the u.s. army command and general staff college at fort leavenworth, kansas, has played a central role in educating military commanders and producing world leaders. many of this college's alumni are the legendary names that my generation grew up reading about and continue to inspire us and our country today. marshall, mcartur, eisenhower, around, bradley. the legislation we consider today, -- arnold, bradley. the legislation we consider today directs the mint to

commemorate a coin. the proceeds will benefit the nonprofit foundation formed in 2005 to enhance the education programs offered at the command and general staff college. retired general gordon sullivan described the command and general staff college as the intellectual heart of the army. part of what makes the heartbeat so strong in recent years is the command and general staff college foundation. under the leadership of the retired colonel, it has supported our country's oldest and largest military staff college by offering many programs and activities to promote excellence. this success is recently acknowledged with a tremendous pledge by ross perot for two new education initiatives. with no shortage of threat today from around our world, our country is demanding much from those who serve us in uniform. our members are -- our service members deserve the best education and training to accomplish these missions. the proceeds of these coins will help ensure that we meet this commitment to america's

military men and women. i want to especially acknowledge my fellow member from kansas, the honorable lynn jenkins, for her work in moving this legislation forward. i also want to thank my friend and colleague, iowa colleague, leonard boswell, who personally secured many of the bill's 300 co-sponsors. mr. boswell is a highly decorated vietnam veteran and a professor at the college. last week i had the pleasure of be inducted in the fort leavenworth hall of fame. congratulations and best regards to my colleague from iowa, mr. boswell, on this great honor. this legislation both honors these great soldiers and alumni at the command and general staff college but also helps the college continue its vital mission of professional military education. i urge my colleagues to support this and yield back the balance of my time. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from kansas. ms. jenkins: i have no further requests for time. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kansas. mr. moore: madam speaker h.r. 22 is a bipartisan measure that honors our five five-star

generals. i urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1177 as amended. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider -- mr. moore: madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. mr. moore: i object to the vote on the grounds a quorum sew not present and make a point of order a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 and the chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from new mexico seek recognition? >> madam speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5128 as amended to designate the united states

department of interior building located at 1849 c street northwest in washington, district of columbia, as the stewart lee udall department of the interior building. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: house calendar number 196, h.r. 5128, a bill to designate the department of the interior building in washington, district of columbia, as the stewart lee udall department of the interior building. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new mexico, mr. teeing, and the gentleman from -- teague, and the gentleman from louisiana, mr. cao, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new mexico. mr. teague: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on h.r. 5128. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. teague: madam speaker, i

yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. teague: h.r. 5128 as amended is a bill introduced by congressman heinrich, congressman lujan, and myself to designate the department of the interior building in washington, district of columbia, as the stewart lee udall department of the interior building. stewart lee udall was the consummate public servant, serving four terms in the united states congress and nine years as the secretary of the interior. secretary udall also enlisted in the armed forces during world war ii, serving as a begunner in -- gunner in europe with the 15th air force until 1944. after his service in world war ii, secretary udall later returned to the university of arizona and earned a law degree in 1948. he opened a law practice with his brother, former u.s. congressman, morris udall, and

ran for and won election as a member of the house of representatives from arizona. during his time in the house of representatives, secretary udall served on the committee on the interior, and insular affairs and the committee on education and labor. secretary udall's service in the house ended when he was appointed by president john f. kennedy as secretary of the interior in 1961. from this perch secretary udall earned his reputation, a giant amongst men in the environmental community authoring several major legislative acts that have served as the framework for modern environmental conservation. second udall served for nine years as head of the interior department, acting as the administration's primary advocate for preservation and responsible environmental stewardship. among his other accomplishments secretary udall presided over the expansion of several

national parks and preserves. including the red wood national park, the appalachian scenic trail, and the north cascade national park. after the secretary's service in the cabinets of president kennedy and president lyndon b. johnson, he rejoined the private sector as a member of the law firm and focused on environmental advocacy by filing lawsuits on behalf of native americans impacted by nuclear pollution. secretary udall also went on to serve as adjutant professor at yale university and authored several books on conservation and highlighting the national treasures of the united states of america. former entiror secretary stewart udall died on march 20, 2010, surrounded by his family and friends. he is survived by six children and eight grandchildren, including his son and nephew, mark and tom udall, who are both

members of the house of representatives before being elected to the other body. given his service to his country, it is fitting we honor the memory of former interior secretary stewart lee udall in designating the united states department of the interior building located at 1849 c street northwest in washington, d.c., as the stewart lee udall department of the interior building. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill. madam speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from louisiana. mr. cao: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cao: h.r. 5128 would designate the department of the interior building in washington, d.c., as the stewart lee udall department of the interior building. stewart udall had a long history of service to our country.

he served as a gunner in the army air corps during world war ii and later was elected to congress as a representative from arizona. in 1961 he was appointed as secretary of the interior serving during both the kennedy and johnson administrations. while secretary of the interior, he was a tireless advocate for the environment and protection of national park lands. secretary udall was the driving force behind the passage of the wilderness act, the wild and scenic rivers act, the land and water and expansion and protection of our national park system. stewart udall demonstrate add strong commitment to public service. it is only fitting that the interior building be named after someone who demonstrated such a commitment to our nation's natural resources. as we honor secretary udall's

service, we must be mindful of the threats that continue to menace our nation's natural resources. even as we speak a rapidly spreading oil slick threatens hundreds of miles of coastlines and thousands upon thousands of acres of wetlands in my home state, louisiana, and throughout the gulf coast. the slick has already dealt a devastating blow to thousands of those whose livelihoods depend upon the protection of our natural resources. throughout the gulf coast, fishermen and avid environmentalists are suffering and will continue to suffer for years to come. they have lost more than a few days' of fishing. this affects their livelihoods and way of life. fishing fleets are idle. fishermen are without work. some in their despair have told me they have contemplated suicide. the extent of the damage will not be known for some time but

already i have seen the ravages of this economic and environmental disaster, the effect of which will linger for years. secretary udall understood, indeed he foresaw that we would need to manage our natural resources carefully to avert just this type of disaster. here today in 2010 we are facing one of the worst environmental disasters in history, and we have to ensure that ongoing stewardship of all of our natural resources remains a priority. while the coast guard and countless volunteers burn, skim, and lay mouths of buoys to mitigate this disaster, we have a unique opportunity to reviss -- revisit mr. udall's legacy of stewardship. i urge this congress to go beyond honoring his memory today by paying tribute to what he stood for by taking a proactive approach to ensuring all of our

natural resources be safeguarded appropriately. secretary udall understood that our happiness and prosperity as a nation depended upon our wise stewardship of our natural resources. his vision should serve as an example not only to successors at the department of the interior but to all americans. i support passage of this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new mexico. mr. teague: i yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from new mexico, mr. martin heinrich. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. heinrich: madam speaker, earlier this year we lost a national treasure and a personal hero of mine, former interior secretary stewart udall. though quiet and humble, his impact was that of a giant and

his defense of our nation's wild lands will remain immeasurable. secretary udall's lifetime of achievement will continue to be felt by every american. thanks to his work, our national parks and public lands belong to every american and will remain a treasured part of our nation's spirit for generations to come. throughout my life i have drawn personal and professional inspiration from mr. udall's remarkable leadership so i was proud to sponsor h.r. 5128, a bill that will designate the department of interior building in washington, d.c., as the stewart lee udall department of interior building. it is only fitting that we honor his legacy by naming the interior building after secretary udall. i would urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from louisiana. mr. cao: i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman from new mexico. mr. teague: madam speaker, i yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from new mexico, mr. ben ray lujan. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. lujan: thank you very much to my colleague from new mexico, mr. teague. secretary udall, great american, great new mexican, and it's an honor to sponsor this legislation to name the united states department of interior in his name. secretary udall spent his later life in my district in santa fe, new mexico. but his work is seen across the country from our pristine wilderness to our clean rivers. we lost a friend, a hero, a true champion this last year. a gentleman who fought to protect resources that will serve us for years to come. to work to protect our land and water and the air we breathe. we are all better for secretary udall's service. but secretary udall's legacy goes beyond our beloved and

critical resources. his legacy is about the people he impacted throughout his life. from those in indian country who suffered the effects of the uranium mining to inspiring young conservationists and acting as an example to all of us. and naming a department of interior building after secretary udall, we honor not only his incredible, professional contributions, we honor a wonderful, compassionate person who tirelessly fought for both our resources and for all the people who loved them so very much. it's an honor to be here. i urge adoption of this important legislation. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from louisiana. mr. cao: i believe i don't have any speakers so i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from new mexico. mr. teague: madam speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5128 as amended.

so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules -- the gentleman from new mexico. mr. teague: madam speaker, i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and make a point of order a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 and the chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from washington seek recognition? mr. mcdermott: i move to suspend the rules and pass h.res. 1339 which expresses support for may as national foster care month.

the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1339, resolution expressing support for designation of may as national foster care month and acknowledging the responsibility that congress has to promote safety, well-being, improved outcomes, and permanency for the nation's collective children. . the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from washington, mr. mcdermott, and mr. linder, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from washington. mr. mcdermott: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include materiel torle on the resolution under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. mcdermott: madam speaker, the month of may marks national foster care month which provides us with an opportunity to recognize the unsung heroes that is the frontline workers and the foster parents who work tirelessly to improve the lives of our most vulnerable children and to reaffirm congress'

commitment to children in foster care. we have a responsibility to work with state officials to ensure that they have the resources they need to care for these children and to help them move to a permanent home as quickly as possible. today there are 463,000 children in the foster care system. while the number of children placed in care has recently declined, far too many children must wait far too long to safely reunify with their parents or find a new family to call their own. right now the average length of stay for a child in foster care is nearly 16 months. that's a significant amount of time in the life of any child, much less one who has been maltreated or separated from their parents, their siblings, their friends and their community. more than 120,000 children are currently waiting to find a new family to call their own through adoption.

children who are waiting to be adopted spend an average of nearly 2 1/2 years in foster care as they await a new family. sadly, nearly 30,000 children left foster care are emancipated from the system in fiscal year 2008 without finding a permanent home, leaving these young people on their own as they transition from foster care to adulthood. while we clearly still have lots of work to do, congress made great progress in the past few years to improve the outcomes of vulnerable children in care. in 2008, congress passed with jerry on the republican side and myself bipartisan called the fostering connections to success and increasing adoptions act. this bill provided additional services and support to children in foster care, promoting the connection of children in care with their

relatives and communities and providing additional support for caseworker training. it also allowed states to extend foster care services to older youth up to the age of 21 so that these young people can receive critical support services as they transition to adulthood, as they age out, so to speak. and as states began to grabble with restraints, severe fiscal restraints as a result of the recession, congress stepped in to provide nearly $1 approximately billion in targeted -- $1 billion in targeted state relief. while progress has been made over the past few years to support our foster care system, there is plenty of additional work that still needs to be done. more focus must be placed in providing support for provential services to at-risk children and their families. by providing more resources that are targeted preventing

the incidents of child math treatment and safely serving children and families in their own homes, we can ultimately reduce the number of children who are placed in foster care. foster kids, like all children, can and do grow up to make lasting positive impacts in their community and in the world. many of you probably have read a recent article in "the washington post" that profiled one foster child who completed a masters degree in history at american university, worked for three years in youth-related positions in the district and graduated from howard university law school earlier this month. i urge my colleagues to pay tribute to these remarkable young men and women in may and every month of the year by joining me and my colleague, representative john linder, and president obama in recognizing may, 2010, as national foster care month and supporting this

bipartisan resolution. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia. mr. linder: madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. linder: this resolution is one that in a perfect world would not be necessary. in that perfectly world every child would live with two married parents and they would love and care for that child. but even as we provide the best environment for children we know that sadly that's not how the world always works. so institutions are needed to ensure that when biological parents don't adequately care for their children other responsible adults step in. that's the role played by our nation's foster care system and the thousands of foster parents who make foster care work to protect children. every day foster parents care for about 500,000 children across america who cannot safely remain their own

parents. for that, as this resolution expresses, our nation says thank you. while we celebrate those who make personal sacrifices to protect and care for children, we must always admit that this system doesn't always work as it should. just like not every biological parent is up to the task, not every foster parent or caseworker meets expectations. some children are subjected to repeated abuse or worse within the very system designed to protect them. we have had many hearings on such cases and children under abuse in the child welfare system, those hearings are sad but an important reminder these services require constant monitoring to ensure children are adequately and appropriately protected. one of those ongoing efforts is to involve relatives in the

care of children. this is a promising approach with bipartisan support which recent laws have encouraged. but we won't make the needed progress until the department of health and human services issues guidance about the notification of relatives provision of section 103 of the fostering connections success and increase in adoptions act of 2008. i urge the department to act without further delay so relatives can play a greater role in the care of vulnerable children. during so during this month of may, which this resolution designates as national foster care month, would be a fitting statement of our common desire to better protect children and also relieve some of the strains placed on the foster parents and caseworkers today. that is the intent of what congress passed and the president signed into law now approaching two years ago. this resolution reminds all americans of the role foster

parents especially play in helping children who have already missed out on some in life. this is through the efforts of tens of thousands of dedicated parents they often succeed through great odds. we owe these dedicated individuals our thanks and support. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from washington. mr. mcdermott: i have no further speakers. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia. mr. linder: i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. mr. mcdermott: i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass house resolution 1339. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are -- mr. mcdermott: madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from washington. mr. mcdermott: i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and i make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 and the chair's prior announcement, further

proceedings on this motion will be postponed. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? >> madam speaker, i move to suspend the rules and agree to the bill h.r. 5139 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5139, a bill to provide for the international organizations immune its act to be extended to the office of

the high representative in bosnia and herzegovina and the international civilian office in kosovo. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. mcmahon, and the gentleman from texas, mr. poe, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. mcmahon: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. mcmahon: thank you. madam speaker, i rise in strong support of this bill that provides legal protection to u.s. personnel working in two balkan-based organizations. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mcmahon: i wish to thank my good friend from california, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee, representative howard berman, for introducing this important measure. the office of the high representatives, or o.h.r., in bosnia and herzegovina, and the

international civilian office with the united states leadership will bring peace and stability to the balkans following the conflicts in the 1990's. the o.h.r. has been performing an invaluable function and overseeing the civilian implementation of the dayton accords while the i.c.o. has implemented the comprehensive proposal of the kosovo status settlement. over 200 americans have worked at these organizations. h.r. 5139 amends the international organizations and immune its act by authorizing the president to extend privileges and immune its to the officers and employees of the o.h.r. and i.c.o. this technical fix seeks to help avoid costly and politically sensitive litigation in the united states courts against employees of these organizations who are not

otherwise guaranteed immunity under the ioia. unlike typical international organizations designated under the ioia, neither the o.h.r. or i.c.o. will be beyond the time necessary. h.r. 5139 extends the privileges and immune its after these bodies are dissolved. since then litigation may be brought against former employees for records of the organization. it is of utmost importance that the united states government protects its diplomats who serve in international organizations often at great personal risk and sacrifice from financial and personal ruinous litigation. in addition, we must preserve our ability to use imformal institutions to conduct foreign policy and attract qualified personnel. madam speaker, i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 5139

and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. poe: thank you, madam speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 5139. the office of high representative in bosnia and the international civilian office in kosovo were established to help promote stable, multiethnic, democratic governments in those countries after the vicious warfare they suffered throughout the 1990's. the united states has supported these missions and assigned american diplomats to help them with critical expert advice. regrettably, these american diplomats can now face costly, politically motivated nuisance lawsuits based on their actions in the course of their official duty while helping those organizations and those nations. for other international organizations in which the united states participates by treaty or by an act of this congress, the president may freely extend immunity from such lawsuits to officers and

employees under the international organizations immunities act. however, due to the ad hoc nature of their establishment, these two offices are not automatically covered by this law. this brief bill seeks to rectify the issue by allowing the president to extend those privileges and immunities to those organizations and their employees. congress has similarly amended the ioia to extend immunities to other organizations following in similar -- falling in similar gray areas, such as the yureb even space agency, the organization of eastern caribbean states and the global fund to fight aids, among just a few. these immunities are not just as broad enjoyed by foreign diplomats in the united states but will insulate our officers from suit only for their official actions as employees of those organizations. and may be revoked by the president at any time. i'm pleased to support the passage of this measure which

supports a bipartisan text which was worked out by the department of state and with our senate colleagues, and with that, madam speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york. mr. mcmahon: madam speaker, i have no further request for time and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5139 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. mcmahon: i move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution h.res. 1324. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1324, expressing condolences

and sympathy for the people of china following the earthquake in the qinghai province on april 14, 2010. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. mcmahon, and the gentleman from texas, mr. poe, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. mcmahon: thank you, madam speaker. i ask annapolis consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. mcmahon: i rise in strong support of this resolution and thank my colleague, mr. manzullo, for his support, and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mcmahon: an earthquake measuring 6.9 on the richter scale struck in the qinghai province of china.

the devastation and suffering that followed was immeasurable. the earthquake killed over 2,000 residents of one prefolkture, which is 97% tibetan and has been a cradle ofity bet culture for centuries. further, monasteries and other places were destroyed. first on the scene were buddhist monks, and they worked for hours without breaking until heavy machinery could be moved in. they were joined in their efforts by local and national chinese authorities who worked in conjunction with community groups on search and rescue and now join in on the rebuilding. the worst hit town still contains over 100,000 homeless

residents on top of the 20,000 migrants described as mostly herders and farmers already living there. yet five weeks after the earthquake, we are seeing the silver lining as plans to reconstruct all of the city, including the destroyed buddhist holy site, and build new homes for those who have tragically lost their own, take place. on may 1, 2010, chinese premier -- the chinese premier announced a plan to rebuild the city in an ecofriendly manner in a meeting on post-disaster rebuilding andra habilitation. i commend the chinese officials' efforts to rebuild and rehabilitate the area but urge them to includeity bet tans in their plan -- tibetans in their plans, given the

overwhelming tibetan nature of the area. i express my condolences for all those in the province. tibetan americans, chinese americans and all those who have lost loved ones or been affected by this tragedy, including rescue and humanitarian workers. i want to commend ambassador huntsman who presented a check for $100,000 to the chinese red cross society for their efforts to rebuild after the earthquake. the ambassador's remarks indicate we stand with the chinese people to rebuild the area and to build stronger ties between our two nations. madam speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. poe: i rise in support of this resolution, addressing the tragic earthquake which took over 2,000 lives and left over 10,000 injured when it struck on april 14, 2010. i would, however, like to mention a mission in the

official american response in to the this tragedy, one only partially rectified in the wording of this the epicenter of the earthquake struck on the tibetan plateau and the vast majority of victims were from tibet, yet the message of condolence issued in the name of the secretary of state, quote, offering thoughts and prayers for the people of china on this difficult day, end of quote, made no mention of the thousands of tibetans who lost their lives, their homes, and their places of worship. madam speaker, political correctness has no place when addressing human tragedy, no matter where it occurs in the world. while we mourn the death of both tibetans and chinese migrant workers in the area, we should not ignore the fact that this was one more blow to the tibetan heartland. the damage to tibetan monoasterries caused by this earthquake is only the latest event in the sad chapter of devastation of this culture

over the past half century. the war waged against tibetan culture began with the chinese people's liberation army invasion of the tibetan plateau in 1959. it continued in the frenzy of frenetic young red guards smashing statues of buddha and assaulting monks and nones in the in-- and nunns in the infamous and misnamed cultural revolution and it continued right up until two years ago when beijing cracked down once again on dissent by rounding up tibetan political prisoners and closing the monoasterries. it's been the united states' stated policy since the passage almost a decade ago of our late colleague, tom lantos', tibetan policy act to work to protect the tibetan culture and religion. yet the administration was noticeably silent regarding the tibetan culture and the loss of

their lives. the dalai lama, a recipient of the congressional gold medal, addressed the earthquake with these words of appeal. he said, to fulfill the wishes of many people, i'm eager to go there myself and offer them comfort. i ask, madam speaker, annapolis consent to submit for the record the brief remarks the da lieu -- the dalai lama made. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. poe: i advocate for a visit by their spiritual leader, i urge beijing leadership to show some mercy and allow a visit to the area by the dalai lama, a site near the place where he was actually born. only when the leader is allowed to come offer solace to their grief and suffering can the victims truly begin to heal. at that, madam speaker, i

reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york. mr. mcmahon: thank you, madam speaker. i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mcmahon: to continue in the point, i failed to mention the issue of the tibetan people is very near and dear to me as well. i have in my district the only tibetan cultural museum in north america and it's a site we have worked with and honored for year the importance of ty let beth tan people, their culture and what it means to the whole world that they are allowed to continue to survive and flourish in this world and so, many points i agree with the gentleman from texas and that being said, i have no further requests for time and yield back the remainder of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1324?

those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the -- mr. mcmahon: i object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 and the chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. mcmahon: i move to suspend the rules and agree@resolution -- and agree to the resolution as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: h.r. 873, establishing a united states consulate in the kurdistan region of iraq. the speaker pro tempore: the

chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. mcmahon: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the material under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, ordered. mr. mcmahon: i rise in strong support of this resolution and yield myself such time as i might consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mcmahon: this resolution expresses the sense of congress that the united states should establish a consulate in the kurdistan region of iraq. as the united states military presence in iraq winds down and our diplomatic presence increases a consulate in northern iraq will prove indy spenceable to america. -- indispensable to america. iran, turkey and a number of european countries have opened conditions consulates in the capital of the kurdistan government. it would benefit the united states to follow suit.

american interests would be served by opening a consulate in northern iraq. it offers numerous opportunities for development. the lack of a consulate is preventing u.s. firms from taking full advantage of the u.s. opportunity in a rapidly developing region. instead, contacts are going to iranian, european, turkish and asian corporations. finally, the absence of a u.s. consulate makes it extremely difficult for the residents of that region, kurds, arab and others, to gain access to u.s. consular services. iraqis from the north must drive more than 200 miles to reach the embassy in baghdad and some of the territory they are forced to cover is treacherous. there is no way to encourage iraqi communication with american diplomats or to handle passport issues. this year, the state department

modified its travel warning for iraq, reflecting the relative safety and security in the kurdistan region. we must not forget that the kurdish people of iraq have been partners with the united states for many years. i believe that the establishment of the united states consulate in the kurdistan region of iraq will demonstrate our strong commitment to maintaining and building upon the success and stability that has already been achieved in that part of iraq, thanks in large part to the proud and brave and courageous warriors from our armed services. i also believe that we should open consulates in the majority shia south and the majority sunni arab center of the suntry to expand america's diplomatic reach and presence throughout iraq. madam speaker, the future of the united states-iraqi relations will be placed on -- will be based on diplomacy and security.

this will contribute both to our national security goals and the stabilization and success of the iraqi nion. i encourage all of my colleagues to support h.res. 873. madam speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: thank you, madam speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. poe: iraqi kurds have been willing partners with the united states since the beginning of the transition to democracy in iraq in 2003. they personally endured the brutal persecution and murder, including the use of chemical weapons that characterized the tyranny of saddam hussein's regime other iraq. their determination to prevent the recurrence of such persecution underlie theirs partnership with us in battling terrorists, insurgents and other militant extremists who seek to undermine the progress made in iraq. they have committed themselves to a future within a federal

republic of iraq, a future of stability and security, prosperity, democracy, of freedom and of human rights. this is their vision and this is our vision. indeed, the future of the united states cooperation -- united states' cooperation with the republic of iraq in general, including the kurdistan re, contains great opportunities for us, as we responsibly redeploy from iraq with the status of forces agreement with the republic of iraq, we are continuing to normalize our bilateral relations at many different levels as we should. one way to do so is to establish u.s. consulates in appropriate regions of iraq, including the kurdistan region. currently the united states and united states citizens living in or visiting the kurdistan region of iraq must travel 200 miles away to our embassy in baghdad to receive consular services. increased u.s. government

civilian representation throughout iraq will serve america's interest during this period of transition. increasing opportunities for travel, governmental and nongovernmental missions, and people-to-people exchanges between our two nations. and for attracting greater u.s. business and investment in iraq. in this respect, establishing a consulate in the kurdistan region of iraq will help ensure the region continues to serve as a gateway for american businesses and investment to other regions of iraq. establishing u.s. consulates will also advance continued dialogue between the united states and the republic of iraq, including dialogue with the kurdistan regional government. finally, u.s. consulates in iraq will help ensure that security, prosperity, human rights and freedom in iraq, including in the kurdistan region, are protected and strengthened in the days and months and years ahead. already 15 countries, including leading european countries,

have consular representation in the capital of the kurdistan region of iraq. i strongly support house resolution 873, which calls for the establishment of u.s. consulates in appropriate regions of iraq, including kurdistan. i thank the distinguished ranking member of the subcommittee on international organizations and human rights and oversight, mr. rohrabacher from california, for sponsoring this resolution and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york. mr. mcmahon: thank you, madam speaker. at this time i'd like to yield five minutes to the gentleman from tennessee, mr. davis. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. davis: mr. chairman, thank you. madam speaker, i rise in strong support of house resolution 873 . on several occasions i've had the opportunity to visit iraq and had the privilege of visiting the kurdistan region. i've seen firsthand the

stability in this rapidly developing part of iraq which is why on october 27 of this year i joined congressman rohrabacher in introducing h.res. 873 to establish an american consulate in the capital city of the kurdistan region of iraq. almost 20 other countries, including developed european allies and others have developed are a consulate in the card stan region. establishing a consulate in iraqi kurdistan would be part of our transition in iraq from a military presence to a civilian and diplomatic one. this is an important step toward normalization and recognizes the growing stability in that part of the world and in northern iraq. a consulate will serve both u.s. and iraqi interests. it will foster the growing

economic potential commercial, cultural, educational ties between the kurdistan region of iraq and the u.s. the lack of a consulate is putting americans at a disadvantage in the region and is a disservice, i believe, to our iraqi-kurdish partners. since introduction of this resolution, the state department has released plans to set up two permanent consulates in iraq. readying itself as a larger role as the military leaves. they are requesting funds for a consulate in basra and one in northern iraq. i believe the one in northern iraq should be located in irbil. it is the longest continuous residential cities in the world, and as we engage in

iraqi freedom, not a single soldier, not a single american life has been lost in combat in the northern part of iraq. america's friends throughout the world and america's friends in kurdistan i believe deserves a consulate in northern iraq. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentman from texas. mr. poe: madam speaker, i yield such time as he may consume the gentleman from california, mr. rohrabacher, the ranking member of the foreign affairs subcommittee on international organizations, human rights, oversight and the author of this legislation. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. rohrabacher: thank you, madam chairman. i rise in support of my own resolution, h. resolution 873 and ask my colleagues to join me in this both moral and practical resolution. a strong relationship with the

kurdish people serves the cause of peace, stability and democratic government in a region that needs a lot of bolesering when it comes to peace, stability and democratic government. it is a strong relationship with the kurds that will keep radical islamic forces in other parts of iraq in check. it is a strong relationship with the kurds that will offset the support that are going to these radical elements in the rest of iraq and the region. the kurds over the years, as we know, have a history of being an oppressed people. thus, they are natural allies of the united states, a country -- our country whose tradition is supporting oppressed peoples and struggling with them to promote democracy, opportunity and prosperity.

if we can count on the kurds, if we can count on them, we will know that there is an opportunity for peace and stability in that area that wouldn't exist otherwise. and if they can count on us, the kurds, we can count on them. this legislation will codify that relationship and that friendship by establishing an american consulate in arbil, which in the kurdish part of iraq. let me tell you that 20 other countries, including european nations and other world powers, have diplomatic and consulate representation in arbil, which is the capital of the kurdish region of iraq. while the kurds have been willing partners of the united states since that democratic transition in iraq began in 2003, and the kurdish part of the country has served as a model for iraq's

democratization ever since operation iraqi freedom. we should move forward with this. it really is a bad comment or a sorry comment that we have to have congressional legislation to force the state department to have a consulate in kurdistan or in the kurdish regions of iraq. this makes all the sense in the world. it's good for them, it's good for us, it's good for the people of iraq. it creates an area of stability in which we are officially recognizing that concept, of a peaceful relationship with the kurds in order to have a peace in iraq. so i ask my fellow colleagues to join me today and officially -- in officially recognizing this great friendship that serves us all so well by enabling the state department to open a consulate in arbil, kurdistan, and, again, underscoring the great friendship between the kurds and the american people, a friendship that serves both our

countries well. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from new york. mr. mcmahon: thank you, madam speaker. at this time i have no further request for time and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: madam speaker, i yield back the balance of my te. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 873 as amended. those in favor say aye. opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. without objection, the title is amended. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. mcmahon: madam speaker, i move to suspend the rules and agree to the bill h.r. 5327 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5327, a bill to authorize assistance to israel for the iron dome anti-missile defense system. the speaker pro tempore:

pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. mcmahon, and the gentleman from texas, mr. poe, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. mcmahon: thank you, madam speaker. and i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. mcmahon: madam speaker, i rise in strong support of this legislation and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mcmahon: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, h.r. 5327, the united states-israel rocket and missile defense cooperation and support act, of which i am a proud original co-sponsor, authorizes funds for the state of israel to facilitate the deployment of the iron dome missile defense system. i would like to thank the distinguished gentleman from virginia, mr. nye, for introducing this important resolution.

madam speaker, as we all know, the residents of israel are subject to constant threat of terrorist attacks, not just threat but actual attack. israelis living in the southern city of sued are a have been terrorized over -- sudra have been terrorized over 8,000 times. passage of the u.s.-israel rocket and missile defense cooperation and support act today will help provide israel with a missile shield in dealing with the persistent missile threat. the primary tool that israel has used to protect its people from hamas and hezbollah missile attacks is an early warning system that sets off sirens telling people to hurry into bomb shelters. this will help minimize fatalities among helpless, unprotected people. the iron dome missile shield

will give israel the capability to provide active defense. it will knock mortgage arse and other deadly projectiles out of the sky rendoringing them harmless. president obama's decision to provide the necessary funding to support israel's funding of the iron dome system demonstrates america's commitment to israel's defense, and the obama administration's dedication to ensuring israel's security. as secretary robert gates recently said, president obama has a firm commitment is unshakeable and our defense relationship is stronger than ever. through the mutual benefit of both nations. madam speaker, u.s.-israeli cooperation on the iron dome system will help advance the cause of peace by supporting israel's ability to defend herself against terrorist attacks.

this will give israel the security it requires to live in peace and to make difficult sacrifices for peace. i believe defensive technologies like iron dome are a real-world necessity for israel as it moves from proximity talks to direct talks and eventually to a final two-state solution. madam speaker, the united states and our ally, israel, have the same security challenges, from combating terrorism to confronting the threat posed by iran's nuclear weapon. president obama and the democrats in congress recognize the threat posed by hamas and hezbollah to israel and we will continue to do what is necessary to keep israel safe and promote the cause of peace. but we cannot have peace until israel is say today we stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of israel and the right to live lives free of terrorism. i encourage all of my colleagues to vote aye on this

important resolution. madam speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. poe: thank you, madam speaker. one of the foundations of america's national security policy is and must remain our deep alliance and our friendship with the democratic jewish state of israel. we not only share our deepest values with israel, we also enjoy close, mutually beneficial, bilateral cooperation in many fields, including defense, intelligence, homeland security, science, technology and education. and as many have noted, israel is a stabilizing force and our alliance with israel is a force multiplier in a region with great strategic importance to not only israel but the united states. in short, the united states' support for israel advances our own security interest. but every day the threat to the democratic jewish state of israel grows and continues to grow.

as the iranian regime draws closer to obtaining a capability for nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver them, as that same regime sponsors hezbollah, hamas and other foreign terrorist organizations, and as the syrian regime follows footsteps in these same regards, the goal is very simple, to destroy israel and the jewish people with the united states next. madam speaker, the little fellow from the desert, ahmadinejad, has denied the holocaust. he's compared israel to a germ, threatened to wipe israel off the map, and has spoken of his goal of a world without america and zionism. the dictator of syria has threatened israel with, quote, violent resistance. hamas covenant calls for killing jews and destroying the nation of israel. hezbollah's leader has reportedly stated that if the jews all gather in israel it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide.

madam speaker, we should take these threats from syria, iran, hezbollah and hamas as serious threats to world stability and specifically to the nation of israel. they have backed up these threats with their evil deeds. for the last decade, thousands of rockets and mortars have been fired by hezbollah from the north and hamas to the south. sponsored by iran and syria with reported aid from that nation of north korea. since israel's defens operations against hezbollah in 2006, hezbollah has rapidly rearmed, again, thanks to syria and iran and north korea, and reports indicate they now have over 40,000 rockets aimed at israel. recent resports -- reports indicate syria is providing hezbollah with long-range missiles that could strike most of israel and some of that weaponry was reportedly

manufactured by those folks in north korea. i would add, incidentally, it doesn't help matters when senior administration officials say the united states should build up what they call more moderate elements of hezbollah. there are no moderate elements of hezbollah. they are not a mainstream political party,er that bloodthirsty terrorist group. but i di gress, madam speaker. to israel's south, hamas and other violent groups have fired somehows and thousands of rockets and mortars on civilian targets in southern israel since 2000, killing, wounding, and inflicting dipe psychological trauma on israeli citizens. i doubt if we'd long put up with rockets coming from the north of our border and the south of our border, but the israelis have to put up with the terror from the north and south on a constant basis. since the conclusion of

israel's defensive operation in january of 2009, the rockets and mor tores -- mortars have abated but have not stopped entirely. over 200 have been fired in the last 16 months. to defend the israeli people, the state of israel is developing a multilayered rocket and missile defense system. it's a defense system. not an offensive system. it's called the iron dome for short. it is for short-range threat and one more medium and long-range threat and the arrow for ballistic missiles. but defense comes at a significant cost. israel spends more on defense as a percentage of its budget than any developed country. israel should not bear those costs single handedly. when hamas and hezbollah, backed by iran and syria, threaten israel, they are also threatening us and we need to

respond accordingly. what we should do is stand with israel just as israel stands with us. we should continue to provide israel with the support it neetsdz to defend itself. and by air dressing and stopping the comprehensive threat posed not only byamas and hezbollah but their state sponsors, specifically iran and syria, that's why i strongly support h.r. 5327, the united states israel rocket missile defense cooperation and support act which authorizes the united states to support israel with the procurement, maintenance and sustainment of the iron dome system. i'd like to thank the distinguished colleague from virginia, mr. nye, and the ranking member of our foreign affairs committee, the gentlelady from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen and the gentleman from ohio, mr. turner, for sponsoring this vital legislation. i urge my colleagues to pass this legislation and make the message clear.

the united states will stand with israel and our other allies and we will stand against our mutual enemies no matter the cost. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york. mr. mcmahon: thank you, madam speaker. at this time, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from virginia, mr. nye. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. nye: thank you for yielding. madam speaker, i rise to support this resolution by -- i rise to support the united states-israel bond by introducing h.r. 5327 the united states-israel rocket and missile defense cooperation and support act. our friendship gives both israel and the united states peace of mind in knowing we will always support one another's security. a safe homeland begins abroad and israel has long been central to that security. for instance, it is because of israel's strength and cooperation that the u.s. no longer has to constantly -- constantly keep a carrier

strike group in the mediterranean, allowing us to use our forces more judicial liss -- judiciously. i am proud to introduce this legislation supported by the president's recent decision to provide funding to support israel's deployment of the iron dome missile defense system. the iron dome system will help protect israeli civilians living in cities like there who have been terrorized by mortar attacks on their homes, schools, and community thesms funds authorized by this bill will allow israel to build two iron dome batteries deployed in the northern and southern areas of the country as needed. israeli defense officials believe iron dome could be functional and deployed this year. lasting peace between the israelis and palestinians requires that israel can oppose

palestinian threats. this allows israel to support itself against attacks. cooperation on measures like ishe dome proves the u.s.-israel security operation is stronger than ever and is beneficial to both nations as we continue to collaborate to develop our most sensitive defense technologies. congress stands shoulder-to-shoulder with israel in its quest for peace and the right to live free from terrorism. in th is a tribute to america's commitment to israel's defense, and to the president's continued and expanding support for israel's security. i ask if my colleague would yield 15 more seconds? mr. mcmahon: madam speaker, at this time i yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentleman from virginia. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. nye: i would like to thank mr. mcmahon, ms. kosmas, mr. bishop, mr. turner for their support of this legislation and i urge my colleagues to support

this measure. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york. mr. mcmahon: thank you, madam speaker. at this time, i yield one minute to the gentlelady from illinois, representative schakowsky a member of the permanent select committee on intelligence. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. ms. schakowsky: thank you, madam speaker. i rise in support of the u.s.-israel missile defense cooperation and support act. too many israeli families live under the daily threat of rocket attacks from hamas and hezbollah. president obama's decision to provide $205 million in support of the iron dome rocket defense system will help israel defend its citizens against these deadly terrorist attacks. i traveled to israel last month and i believe the status quo in the many middle east is

unsustainable. lasting peace will only be possible with israel can assure the security of its population. that's why u.s. support for defensive systems like iron dome is so important. this legislation clearly demonstrates to the united states congress and president obama will not compromise when it comes to israel's security. i am proud to support this legislation and i want to thank its sponsors. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: i continue to reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york. mr. mcmahon: thank you, madam speaker. at this time, i yield one minute to the representative from virginia, mr. moran a member of the committee on appropriations. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. moran: thank you, madam speaker. i rise in support of this bill, of which i am also a co-sponsor. last week, president obama submitted a request to congress to authorize funds for this important missile defense system. it will shield israeli

civilians from indiscriminate short-range missile attacks. the bill is consistent with support of human rights for palestinians in gaza and the west bank and of efforts to enhance israel's security and defense of her citizens from violent rocket and missile attacks. this reflects the role that the united states can play in saving lives on both sides of the israeli-palestinian conflict and if we can save lives and promote a sustainable peace, then we must play that role, from both a moral as well as a geopolitical motivation. because when people feel secure they think differently than when they feel under siege. their priorities change. this miss isle defense system could be a game-changer. it deserves our support. thank you, madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york. mr. mcmahon: i yield five

minutes to the gentleman from new jersey, representative rothmann a member of the committee on appropriations and subcommittee on defense. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. many mr. rothmann: thank you, ma'am. i thank the gentleman from staten island. i thank congressman nye, congressman hope, for your work on this important issue. madam speaker, why is it important for the united states to defend the national security of the state of israel? well, it's important because the national security of the state of israel is critically important to the national security of the united states of america. somehow that so? well, we know first of all that the united states has been working with israel and her technicians on improved missile defense technology. the arrow missile system is a

joint-u.s.-israel technological wonder that protects the israelis from anything coming in from zero to 600 miles. we know the u.s. is working on a project with israel called david's sling, a defensive system to protect israeli forces and people from rockets and mortars fired between 43 and 150 miles. we're working with the state of israel, the united states is, on a sophisticated anti-missile system called arrow three, which would allow us to defend against intercontinental ballistic missiles fired as far as 1,200 miles away and get those those missiles 1 2,00 away before they were over american soil or over our troops in the region or over our ally, the state of israel system of the money we invest

in missile defense with the state of israel and have our scientists working jointly together is in the vital national security interests of the united states. and in the vital national security interests of the state of israel which provides us americans so many benefits. not just the benefits of supporting a fellow democracy and a nation who our founders referred to as people deserving of the right to return to their natural homeland. but israel has a strategic importance to the united states as well. it's located on the mediterranean. it's located near the red sea. it's a bad neighborhood. a lot of the actors who would want to come and hurt americans around the world and on u.s. soil, are inspired if not financed, from that region. israel has one of the world's greatest intelligence services. we get -- we americans get day-to-day updates from that

intelligence service which benefit us in our fight against terrorists who are trying to kill americans around the world and on american soil. of course, the money that we give israel for its military acquisitions, 70% of the money, is required to buy american-made munitions. american-made. so those are only some of the reasons. u.s. generals want israel to have a missile defense system that will be able to be used to protect u.s. troops in the region as well as our ally, the state of israel. also, as one of my colleagues mentioned earlier we increase the chance for peace if potential adversaries know not only that we are -- we have a strong offensive power but that we have a strong defense. so if they know that whatever they shoot at us won't land, won't blow up on us and they'll

respond with overwhelming power and they haven't laid a glove on us, so to speak, then they'll be deterred, they'll say, well, gee if i throw everything at them and it won't work because they're protected with this anti-missile system and they're going to respond overwhelmingly, why the heck should we fire at them in the first place. that's why a missile defense system for the united states has been so important. that's why a missile defense system for our number one strategic military ally in the region, the jewish state of israel is so important for the united states. it will help protect israel, it will help protect american troops in the region and it will help reduce the chances of war if those who want to destroy israel know israel can survive an attack and then be ready with its own offensive response. i thank the gentleman for offering this bill and i urge

my colleagues to do so as well. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: i continue to reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york. mr. mcmahon: i yield one minute to the gentlelady from florida, representative wasserman shulingts, chairwoman of the legislative branch subcommittee on appropriations. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. wasserman schultz: thank you, madam speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 5327. as a staunch supporter of the jewish state of israel, it gives me great pride to be a co-sponsor of this resolution which will provide israel the funding it needs. in support of the iron dome defense system, congress and president obama's message to the people israel is loud and clear. our commitment to israel's security is unshakeable. and through this funding that will help israel produce and maintain an effective defense against rockets and mortars, such as those used by hamas and

hezbollah, we are backing up our words with action. i support our colleagues to vote yes and vote yes on 5327 and i commend my colleague, the gentleman from virginia, mr. nye, for his leadership on this very important issue. thank you, madam chair. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york. mr. mcmahon: at this time i yield two minutes to the gentleman from new york, representative nadler, the chairman of the judiciary subcommittee on the constitution, civil rights and civil liberties. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. nadler: thank you, madam speaker. and i thank the gentleman for yielding. madam speaker, we all hope for a peace agreement negotiated between israel and the palestinians. such an agreement, providing for adequate security, safeguards for israel, would benefit the citizens of israel and would benefit the

palestinians. it would also help stabilize the middle east and would help the national security interest of the united states. every american administration for the last 40 years has recognized that prerequisite to the successful conclusion of any peace agreement is the maintenance of israel's qualitative military superiority over any potential combination of state and nonstate aagreesors. in recent years, unfortunately, we have permitted israel's military superiority to lag, to begin to fall down. i want to congratulate the administration, the obama administration, and sharply stepping up u.s. military assistance and u.s. military cooperation with israel. now, we also face the threat from iran and the threat of 40,000 rockets and missiles supplied by the iranians in

lebanon, with hezbollah, which said it wants to kill every jew. and this accumulation of 40,000 rockets has been done in violation of u.n. security council resolution 1701, which has not been enforced. so hence this bill, this bill which comes from the administration which will provide $200 million-some in maintain israel's military superiority and in protecting israel's citizens against possibly unprovoked aggression and is an absolute prerequisite if we hope to see any peaceful negotiation in the middle east. i therefore congratulate the administration on taking this step and on the steps it has made to maintain israel's military superiority. i thank the sponsors and i urge the passage of this bill. i thank you for yielding time. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: madam speaker, i'd inquire of the gentleman if he has any speakers.

mr. mcmahon: madam speaker, it appears i don't have any other speakers. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. poe: madam speaker, the state of israel, the nation of israel is not a big place. it's a little bitty country. smaller than the state of new jersey. from north to south at the longest point is 200 miles. east to west is 75 miles. and every sense their existence, nations all around them have been wanting to destroy the nation of israel. let there be no mistake about it, madam speaker, israel is our ally. israel has the absolute right of self-defense, to protect the dignity of its country and to protect its citizens. that is the first duty of every government and of every nation. this resolution helps israel protect itself and its citizens. israel has the absolute right

to exist and it should be known to the world that we will stand with israel to make sure that they have the right to exist. israel is saying to hezbollah and hamas, syria, iran and even north korea, leave uslone. that is the right that israel has, to be left alone in that region. this resolution also says, madam speaker, and reaffirms a statement made 50 years ago by president john f. kennedy when he made the comment in his inaugural address, and i quote, let every nation know whether it wishes us well or ill that we will pay any price, bear any burden, support any friend and oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

this we pledge and much more. this resolution, madam speaker, reaffirms that competitive by president kennedy over 50 years ago. and with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york. mr. mcmahon: thank you, madam speaker. i'd request how much time i have remaining. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman has 4 1/2 minutes remaining. ma'am ma'am thank you, madam speaker. -- mr. mcmahon: thank you, madam speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mcmahon: i join in agreement with all the speakers who have spoken on this resolution, the importance of america's continuing friendship, support and solidarity with the people of israel. many speak about how this is an issue that is so important for america's national security and that is true. i'm a new yorker. you may have noticed my accent, i didn't have to say it, but i was also in new york on september 11. and like so many new yorkers we saw firsthand the threat of

terrorism right at our doorstep, not just the threat but the reality. and it's that threat and that reality that the people of israel live with every day. they are on the front line. so, yes, it is in our national interest but it also speaks to the very morality and soul of our nation that we stand by our friend, that we stand by our colleague in this world battle and that the is the nation of israel. so this bill is one more step in that statement. it's important for america to do it because if we didn't then we would no longer be america. madam speaker, at this time i have no further request for time and, therefore, yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5327 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the -- mr. mcmahon: madam speaker, on

that vote i demand the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 and the chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida rise? >> madam speaker, i send to the desk a privileged report from the committee on rules for filing under the rules. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title. the clerk: report to accompany house resolution 1363, a resolution granting the authority provided uzz clause 4-c-3 of rule 10 of the rules of the house of representatives to the committee on education and labor for purposes of its investigation into underground coal mining safety. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the house calendar and ordered printed.

the chair lays before the house an enrolled bill. the clerk: senate 1782, an act to provide improvements for the operation of the federal courts and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, proceedings will resume on motions to suspend the rules previously postponed. votes will be taken in the

vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: the yeas are 57, the nays are 42. three-finals of the senators duly chosen and sworn have voted, the motion is not agreed to. mr. reid: madam president -- the presiding officer: the motion to reconsider is entered. mr. reid: i ask that the cloture vote on the bill be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. reid: i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the rl. quorum call:

quorum call:

the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order.

the chair will entertain requests for one-minutes. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida rise? ms. ros-lehtinen: request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: will the gentlewoman suspend. will the members please clear the well and will the members take their conversations off the floor. the house will be in order. the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you,

madam speaker, i rise to emphasize my strong support for h.r. 5327 of which i'm an original co-sponsor. this vital legislation authorizes the support of the united states for israel's iron dome system designed to intercept short-range missiles and rockets fired by hezbollah from israel's north and hamas from the south. since the year 2000, madam speaker, these violent militant groups sponsored by iran and syria have fired thousands of missiles rockets and mortars against israeli civilian targets. hezbollah now has an arsenal that may include scuds and other long-range missiles. rockets continue to be fired from gaza, putting southern israel under a state of siege. madam speaker, israel is

developing a multi-layered defense system, including the iron dome to stop this threat. the u.s. must support our ally israel in this to secure her citizens. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. members are reminded to refrain from trafficking the well while another member is speaking. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado rise? >> address the house for one minute, revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. polis: i rise today to talk about the immigration opportunity for our country. not the immigration problem but the immigration opportunity. the human potential and human capital that want to come to our shores and work hard contribute

to the productive activity of our country is an important as set. the best and brightest are trying to leave to come to our country to work hard and create jobs for americans. one of the components of the house comprehensive immigration reform bill. it would make it easier for foreign investors and entrepreneurs to start businesses in our country guaranteing they create jobs for americans. if we pass it, it will create over 50,000 jobs for american citizens here. these are companies that other wise will set up overseas. we aren't limiting them come here. let's create jobs for americans here at home. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does kansas rise? >> address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. will the members please take their conversations off the

floor. the house will be in order. the gentleman may proceed. mr. moran: the organization for economic cooperation development unanimously voted to admit israel last week as its newest member. the decision to welcome israel into this group is significant recognition that israel has much to offer the world and a setback to international efforts to delegitimatize the jewish state. israel is a democratic nation with an economy based on free market principles and shares american goals of creating prosperity and new economic opportunities. israel's economy has been one of the world's strongest and grew last year during the worldwide economic downturn and expected to grow by 3.7% this year. as a member of oecd, they will offer help and solve difficult problems. i congratulate israel and look forward to the contributions

that israel will make to this international body. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania rise? mr. thompson: request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: madam speaker, jackson health care in atlanta, georgia, serving 1,400 physicians. the survey found that physicians reported being taught the practice of defensive medicine. these are not necessary tests and treatments to avoid lawsuits. 19% of physicians over 65 were taught defensive medicine in medical school during their residencies. defensive medicine is negatively impacting patients beyond costs and limiting access, slowing

innovations and discouraging future generations om pursuing the practice of medicine. the c.e.o. said the u.s. is the only country where physicians are liable for mistakes and he said this is a problem that needs to be addressed at state and national levels. republicans proposed to do that with medical liability reform but the new health care law did not address that and that is too bad for all of us. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: are there further requests for one-minutes? the chair lays before the house the following personal requests. the clerk: leaves of absence requested for mr. back cuss of alabama for today and may 20 and mr. kirk for today and the balance of the week. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the requests are granted. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. poe: i ask unanimous consent

that today following legislative business and any special orders heretofore entered into, the following members may be permitted to address this house revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material, mr. moran for may 26, myself, for may 26, mr. jones for . mr. goodlatte for today. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. for what purpose does gentlelady from california rise? ms. woolsey: i ask unanimous consent that today following legislative business and any special orders heretofore entered into, the following members may be permitted to address the house for five minutes to revise and extend their remarks and include therein extraneous materials, mr. etheridge of north carolina, ms. woolsey of california, mr. davis of illinois, mr. polis, colorado. ms. kaptur of ohio and mr. defazio, oregon.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection. under the speaker's announced policy of january 6, 2009, and under a previous order of the house, the following members are recognized for five minutes each. mr. poe of texas. mr. poe: thank you, madam speaker. president calderon is at the white house today complaining about america. he said arizona's new law, quote, opens the door to intolerance, hate, discrimination and abuse in law enforcement, end of quote. he said he will do everything in his power to protect the rights and dignity of mexican citizens. he's just not too concerned about human right abuses of illegals in his own country, however. while he is falsely accusing officials in arizona of perhaps maybe one day in the future violating the civil rights of illegals in arizona, his own

mexican government officials are committing human rights abuses against illegals in mexico. just last month, the associated press said, amnesty international call the abuse of migrants in mexico a major human rights crisis. they accused mexican officials of turning a blind eye or even participating in the kidnapping, rape and murder of migrants. the mexican interior department said those who pass through mexico on their way to the united states suffer abuses, saying the criminal cartels branch out into kidnapping and extortion of my grants. they said failure by abuses has made their trips to mexico has been one of the dangerous in the world. they have quote, nowak cease to justice, fearing deportation if

they complain. the amnesty report also says central americans are pulled off of trains in mexico are kidnapped enmasse and held at gang hideouts and forced to call relatives in the united states to pay their ran some to the kidnappers. there are thousands of these kidnappings each year in mexico according to amnesty's report. the report says kidnapping for ransome reached new heights in 2009. they reported 10,000 migrants in mexico were abducted. half of the victims said that public officials in mexico were involved in the kidnapping. six out of 10 women and girls experienced sexual violence and some of the people that are some of the people that are smuggled in by